Twelve Days of Christmasvengers
by thatmultifandomfreak
Summary: Series of drabbles involving Clintasha, Pepperony and Bretty. Clint and Natasha also adopted Peter when he was a kid. Therefore, Spiderbird is mentioned in a lot of the stories. Christmas feels, fluff and hilarity, hopefully. *Edit:* Asdfghjkl, I'm the worst person ever for not uploading on time. They're still coming, no thanks to writer's block. This is why I don't do NaNoWriMo.
1. December 12

"Mama!" Peter cried happily, launching himself into Natasha's arms. She laughed and staggered backwards, lifting the eight year old up and sitting on the couch with him. "Hello, baby spider," she murmured, kissing the brown hair. Clint poked his head around the door of the kitchen, and grinned widely. "Petey!" Peter scrambled off his mother's lap and flew at Clint, trying to clamber up his leg. The archer leaned down and scooped Peter into his arms, hugging him close. "Come on, let's go sit with Mama."

Natasha leaned against Clint when he sat down, running her fingers through Peter's hair. "How was school, little one?" she murmured to Peter, glancing up at Clint. They shared a quiet look, before he leaned down to kiss her softly. They were interrupted by Peter sprinkling glitter on their heads, and both glanced up at him, amused. "Peter? What are you doing?" Natasha asked with a small laugh, and the boy grinned triumphantly. "Want to show you my card." He gave the card to Clint, who stared at it with a chuckle. "Lovely, Petey. It's a snowman, right?"

Peter nodded proudly. "I wanted to do a spider, but Harry said it wasn't Christmassy enough." Natasha looked offended. "It is _too_ Christmassy enough," she huffed. A wry smirk played at the corners of Clint's mouth. "Sorry to break it to you, honey, but it isn't." Natasha told him to shut up, while simultaneously resting her chin on his shoulder. Snow started to fall outside and Peter crowed with happiness.


	2. December 13

"We need a Christmas tree," Tony decides on December 13th as he lands on the balcony. Pepper leans on the railing, staring out at the wintery skyline. "You said you didn't want one. Something about pine needles all over the tower." She turns to face him, her hair whipping in the wind, and he shrugs while the suit disassembles.

"Changed my mind. Nat and Clint set Shanta on me and she said she wouldn't stop hounding me till we got one." Pepper snorts with laughter and moves inside with a shiver. He follows her, wrapping her in a tight hug the minute they get inside. "So we can get one?" he asks hopefully, and she nods with a grin.

Four hours later, after a lot of laughter and a moment when Peter gets hopelessly tangled up in tinsel, the tree is up and sparkling brightly. The Avengers (and assorted children) lie sprawled over couches and the floor with mugs of coffee. Tony and Pepper take one couch stretched out together, their legs tangled. Natasha and Clint take an armchair, her sitting in it, him on the floor with his head on her lap. Every now and then Bruce catches them sharing looks that make Natasha glow and Clint's eyes light up with pride and love.

A large cushion is on the floor; Peter and Wade have curled up on it with Shanta between them, protecting her. Wade's arm is reached out above Shanta's head, his fingers threading through Peter's hair. Bruce and Betty tuck their legs up on the couch together, leaning against one another and whispering softly. They glance around the room with light smiles, knowing that this is where they belong.

The room is silent, save for their quiet breathing and a Christmas playlist put together by Peter and Shanta. Bruce and Betty stop talking and just sit, still leaning against one another, Bruce's arm wrapped around Betty's shoulders. Clint's eyes flicker closed and Natasha leans down to kiss his forehead, her fingers in his hair. Shanta is already asleep between Wade and Peter, whose hands are linked across her stomach. Tony and Pepper lie on the couch, their limbs tangled together, his nose buried in her hair. The song finishes and JARVIS automatically dims the lights to let them sleep.


	3. December 14

**A/N: ugh, I'm sorry this is rubbish, late and short. My laptop basically shorted out yesterday morning with the whole thing on it, and wiped the hard disk, so I had to write this in a hurry the next day. The next appointment I can get at the Genius Bar for the laptop is Wednesday at 3:40pm, so the chapters might be a little shorter than usual until then, as I'm stuck on my phone. I promise a longer one for Sunday. **

"Tony, what in the name of ass is this?" Natasha stares at the Christmas card that is currently playing tinny carols, trying to fight the urge to grab a gun and shoot it. Anything that played Jingle Bells in a pitch almost out of human hearing range was, in her opinion, on a level par with the spawn of Satan.

"You think I know?" Tony gives the card a look that is akin to terror. "What is it doing?" The card strains to reach the high notes of the song and they both flinch. Natasha snaps it closed with a scowl. "Let us never speak of this again," she mutters, throwing the card into the fire. Tony nods as Bruce comes into the room humming Jingle Bells. Natasha throws a cushion at him and he stares at her a little too innocently. "What did I do?"


	4. December 15

Before I start, Agent Romanoff would like to get it straight that she is not in the least bit into sewing, baking, or any of those other "boring" activities. Agent Barton would also like to point out that Christmas is one of those times of year where he goes a bit mental, and anything he does at Christmastime - including random bursts of emotion - should not be held against him, thank you _very_ much.

Peter bursts into the room, calling for Natasha excitedly. "Mama, I'm an _angel_!" the six year old says proudly as she lifts him into her arms. Clint comes in off the balcony, where he has been dropping snowballs onto people on the pavements. He sits on the couch, blowing on his hands. "Who's an angel?"

"Certainly not _you,_" Natasha teases, sitting next to him and taking his cold hands in her warm ones. Peter climbs onto Clint's lap and grins. "_I_ am. In the play. I'm da' angel Gabriel." He stammers a bit over the name and Clint chuckles. "Are you indeed?" Peter nods happily, his chest puffing out with pride. "Are you coming to see it?" he asks his parents. "'Cause no one's ever come to my play b'fore." Clint and Natasha exchange glances over his head, and she nods. "Of course we are, Petey."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Clint adds as Natasha lets his hands go. He tickles Peter gently and the boy squirms. "Need a costume, tho'," he informs them solemnly and Clint points to Natasha. "Mama will make one, _won't _you?" Natasha gives him a deadly look and nods reluctantly. "Maybe Aunt Pepper and Aunt Betty can help me, hm?"

And that is how she finds herself in the living room with Pepper and Betty. The two other women are discussing whether cream or white material would be better, and Natasha is absently wrapping a piece of tinsel around a circle of wire to make a halo. The show is the next day, and the amount of effort it took to get to that point in the costume making has managed to surprise even Natasha. She glances at Pepper and Betty, who have settled on white, and thanks god that she has them. Otherwise Peter would be going to the play in a sheet and have done with it.

The day of the nativity play dawns frosty, with promises of yet more snow, and Natasha takes Peter to school bundled up in about 4 layers. She promises to be at school with the rest of the Avengers at 11am, when the play is, and assures him that they will wave to him when he comes onstage. He goes to school happy, the costume folded in a plastic bag, and Natasha watches him leave with a small smile.

Of course, she then has to either persuade or threaten the rest of the Avengers. Surprisingly, despite the fact that he hasn't slept in 2 days, Tony agrees immediately, and actually leaves the lab to shower. Shanta claps her hands in excitement, crowing that she has been looking forward to the play for days. Natasha doubts that that's true, but smiles and asks her to ask Bruce, knowing that the scientist can't say no to Shanta. Steve gives her a charming smile and assures her that he will be there. According to Clint, who manages to get trapped in the kitchen - "all I wanted was coffee!" - by Pepper and Betty chatting outside the door, the two of them are looking forward to inspecting Peter's school. Thor forgets about his inside voice in the excitement that 'young Peter' is growing up so fast, and bows his head gallantly when she asks him to come. Of course, Coulson and Fury refuse point blank, though Coulson later asks Natasha to record it.

The play is the next hurdle to get over before term ends for Peter. The Avengers themselves take up the best part of 9 seats, and manage to turn a lot of heads when they walk in. The parents of one of Peter's friends, a boy named Harry, greet Clint and Natasha pleasantly, trying not to be intimidated by the rest of the team standing behind them. Natasha smiles, breaking into chatter and stories about making the costume with Harry's mother, Pepper and Betty, while Clint and Tony immediately set out to scare Harry's father as much as possible. Clint's story about a job in Spain does the trick, and he looks positively white as he and his wife take their seats. Clint and Tony high-five, and Natasha gives them both pinches that have them clutching their arms in pain. "Behave," she hisses as they sit.

Aside from Joseph almost falling asleep, and a sheep getting bored of being a sheep, and taking Joseph's lines instead, the play goes swimmingly. Peter, who rehearsed his lines with Clint and the carol they all sing at the end with Shanta, manages to get through the play with no mishaps, and his parents share proud looks. At the end, Thor manages to almost hit Bruce as he claps, and Peter runs excitedly to his large family - because really, that's what they are to him. Family. One huge, weird family.


	5. December 16

Tony and Pepper are definitely the most open couple. Clint and Natasha are quiet, reserved, but still very much in love. Bruce and Betty are very like Clint and Natasha, except they will almost always have some form of contact, even if it is only their little fingers linked. Their relationship isn't the most demonstrative, but occasionally one of them will do something small for the other.

"I made hot chocolate," Betty says quietly as Bruce comes into the kitchen, yawning. He smiles and combs his fingers through her hair. "Thank you," he mumbled tiredly as she hands him a mug with a quick kiss to the cheek. It smells like cinnamon and chocolate and Christmas, and Bruce's eyes widen at the amazing smell. He smiles and wanders back into the living room, his little finger linked with hers to make sure she follows. She does, pausing only to pick up her own mug.

Betty curls up on the couch, tucking her knees up to her chest, and Bruce sits next to her. They start talking in hushed voices as snow falls upon snow outside, their eyes dancing in the light from the Christmas tree. And when Betty falls asleep cradling her empty mug, Bruce takes it gently out of her hands and sets it alongside his own on the floor. He doesn't realise that the handles are touching as he wraps his arms around her and closes his eyes.


	6. December 17

The tower echoes with the sound of Shanta teaching Peter Christmas carols. But not the original words, of course.

"This one, Pete, you have to sing to your dad, 'kay?" The six year old nods dutifully and Shanta starts to sing. "Deck the halls with all my arrows, caw-caw-caw-caw-caaaw, caw-caw-caw-caaaaw-"

She is cut off by a snort of laughter from the doorway, and both her and Peter turn to see Tony in fits of laughter, clinging to the doorframe. "If you sing that to Clint," he splutters, "I will pay you. I will actually pay you." Shanta's eyes light up immediately at the thought, but Peter tells him solemnly that he was going to sing it anyway, and Tony doesn't need to pay. The genius grins smugly at Shanta and saunters away, his hands in his pockets, whistling Christmas carols.

Peter finds his father a few hours later on the balcony and immediately breaks into song. When he finishes, Clint asks him where he learned the words. "Shanta taught me them," Peter answers innocently, his eyes turned up towards Clint. The archer's resulting yell echoes through the tower, and both Shanta and Tony start to cackle.


	7. December 18

There has been an explosion of sugar in the kitchen. Steve walks in, sneezes, and walks out again. Bruce just blinks mildly, staring at the mess, and sees his daughter, covered in icing sugar. "Shanta, do I want to know what happened?" The teenager shakes her head sheepishly, lifting Peter out of a snowdrift of sugar and bouncing him on her hip. "Probably not," she replies with a sky grin, and the doctor throws his hands up with a sigh and leaves. "Wait till Pepper sees this," he calls back and Shanta pales under her coating of sugar.

When Pepper does indeed walk in, having received word from Bruce about the sugar explosion, the kitchen is spotless, and Peter is sitting on the counter next to a perfectly decorated Christmas cake, while Shanta is wiping the walls quickly. She turns around and sees her aunt in the doorway. "Hi, Aunt Pepper. Do you like the cake?" Pepper nods, speechless, and Clint pokes his head around the door. "Looking good, guys." Shanta grins and Peter holds his sticky hands out for his father to pick him up.


	8. December 19

Natasha Romanoff is possibly the hardest person to buy for. She doesn't like the typical jewellery (unless it comes from Clint), makeup, smelly candles, or perfume. Luckily for Clint, he's known her the longest, and knows what to buy her.

"Papa, I like this shop," Peter decides, minutes after walking into the chocolate shop. Clint snorts with laughter, scooping the boy into his arms. "I'm sure you do." Peter squirms as he gently pokes his stomach, giggling. "Come on, we need to get something for Mama." Anything with chocolate in it is perfect for Natasha, and Clint knows that. Peter points out chocolate with chilli, and the archer grins.

Half an hour after they walk in, the two leave; Peter in Clint's arms carrying a bag. Occasionally his hand sneaks into the bag and steals a piece of chocolate, and Clint pretends not to notice. "So, this is from you, okay? I've already got something for Mama," he instructs Peter, turning towards the Avengers Tower. It's a clear, if slightly cold day, and not too far to walk.


	9. December 20

Peter has been awake since 8am. He crawls into his parents' bed and lies between them, wriggling to get comfy. After half an hour, Clint groans and rolls out of bed, tugging a sweater on and padding into the kitchen. Peter immediately takes his warm spot, curling into a ball, until Natasha scoops him into a hug. He cuddles up against her for a few minutes, when Clint comes back with two mugs of coffee. The Russian gives him a sleepy smile and he answers with a wide grin of his own, sliding gracefully into the bed and handing her a cup. Peter sits between them, humming a carol he learned at school.

"Mama, can I get my calendar?" he asks after a while, glancing up at the redhead. Natasha nods at him, and he wriggles out of the bed. The assassins share gentle smiles as Peter skids out of the room, running to grab his advent calendar from his room. He dashes back into the room, diving into the sheets again and snuggling back down between his parents. "It's only..." he pauses to count the number of closed windows painstakingly, "...5 days 'till Christmas!" Natasha nods and hands her mug over to Clint, who puts it next to his on the floor, and the two of them watch Peter contentedly. No one's quite willing to get out of bed yet.


	10. December 21

Shanta is desperately excited about ice skating for the first time. Her childhood in India meant there wasn't an option to do anything like that; and even after she came to America with Bruce, they never went. That's why she's so thrilled to finally be going, aged sixteen. Peter is surprised that she's never been. "But you're _old_," the six year old states solemnly. "How come you haven't been skating before?" Natasha touches his shoulder gently, an unspoken reprimand, and he glances up at her before looking back to Shanta. "Sorry," he mumbles, going forwards and throwing his arms around her. Shanta mouths a thank you to Natasha, and the assassin inclines her head slightly, before turning and leaving.

The trip is everything she thought it would be. Of course, Steve doesn't skate, but sits at the side and watches. The supersoldier seems perfectly happy to do so, and the rest of them understand. Natasha and - surprisingly - Clint make everyone else on the rink skate to the side as they skate together, lost in their own world. "Just like Sweden," Clint says softly as they blow past one another and Natasha laughs, a genuine carefree laugh that makes Shanta smile. She and Peter stagger gracelessly around, clinging to the side and to each other's hands, while Bruce and Betty sit with Steve. Every time one of them falls over, one of the assassins catches them and sets them upright, before disappearing again. Tony, Pepper and Thor refused to come outside, claiming that it was too cold, and that the city is "under a frost giant enchantment", in Thor's words. Afterwards, freezing cold - and, in Shanta and Peter's case, slightly bruised - they pile into a nearby café and order copious amounts of hot chocolate. Bruce and Betty share one with cinnamon.

In time, Shanta tells Peter why she never went ice skating, and the boy shrugs. He hugs her tight and tells her it doesn't matter because she's been now and that's what's important.


	11. December 22

"Mama, why don't I see my family at Christmas?"

Natasha starts at the question, whipping around from where she is wrapping Clint's Christmas present to stare at her son. "Your family is here, Petey; Shanta, Aunt Pepper, Aunt Betty, Uncle Bruce, Uncle Tony, me, Papa. We're your family." Peter nods slowly, his eyes clouding with confusion. "I know, but Harry's seeing his grandparents. Why aren't we? Where are my grandparents?" Natasha turns back to the present, her mind racing. She doesn't want to tell the truth, but Peter has to find out eventually. "Honey, you don't have any grandparents," she says slowly, finishing the wrapping. Peter tilts his head to the side. "Everyone has grandparents," he says with six year old logic, and Natasha smiles slightly and turns to face him. "Not everyone. When people get old, they die, Petey. That's what happened to your grandparents." She figures that's the easier option for him to understand. Peter frowns slightly and she opens her arms for him. He goes straight to her and she lifts him up. "So... I don't have grandparents?" His mother shakes her head, tears welling up in her eyes, and he wraps his arms around her neck, tucking his head under her chin. "It's 'kay, Mama. I have you and Papa and everyone. Don't need grandparents." Natasha glances up and sees Clint leaning against the doorframe, his eyes sad. She reaches a hand out for him and he moves silently to her, wrapping her and Peter in a tight hug.


	12. December 23

"Dear Santa,

Please could you send me a pet spider of my own, and a little brother or sister. Mama and Papa said I couldn't have one, but you're Santa and you can do anything, right?

Love Peter."

"Please make Daddy happier. He never lets go and that makes him sad. Please make him less afraid. Thank you.

Shanta xx

P.S. If it's possible, a little more snow would be nice xx"

"If you exist, Santa, I need a new bow. Natasha broke my old one and SHIELD says it'll take at least a month to make a new one.

-Clint."

"This is stupid.

Santa, I think I should start a tab with you. Every time I've been forced to send you a letter I've asked for the same thing. Something nice for Pepper, please.

Tony."

"I just want Tony to be happy, Santa. Please. I want him to stop hiding in the workshop and actually smile more often. Thank you.

Pepper"

"Santa, I know you're not God, but if you could keep Betty and Shanta safe, safe from the Other Guy, safe from everything... That's all I want for Christmas.

-Bruce"

"Santa, make Bruce happy please. Keep Shanta safe and stop him worrying all the time. Thank you.

Love Betty"


	13. Final Author's Note

It's finally over! I'm sorry for being a bad author and not uploading on time but I got it finished and only a day late! So, I might write a Christmas Day one, but if I don't, thanks for reading, and I'll finish my other stories in the New Year :)

Merry Christmas, everyone!

_Finis. _


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